(french and english on http://home.worldnet.fr/gonnet/minton-paris.htm
(the scan will be online soon as well)

Scientology
Bob Minton's Challenge

(photo of Bob)

Christophe Deloire
Le Point, Apr 12th, 2000

Before, Bob Minton knew about scientology what the Cruise and Travolta's
interviews said, which was good. Then the american banker read some critics
that he first thought exxagerated.

He came eventually in Clearwater, Florida, four years ago, and that's where
he saw young scientologists running in the street with their paramilitary
suits: it's then that he changed his mind about scientology.

This 50 years man retired, who did a fortune negociating the debts of the
Third World - he says owning in the tens of millions of dollars, - founded
the Lisa Mc Pherson's Trust.

Lisa Mc Pherson is that scientology member who died from a pulmonary
thrombosis after having been dehydrated, while the cult, at least is it
accused of it - had guarded her in its walls during 17 days. She's now the
symbol of scientology opposants. Bob Minton started to finance the Lisa's
family attorney. Then he helped some seven other ex-adepts. He has already
paid about 4 millions dollars to help them to have enough weapons in this
expansive struggle: most of times, the judiciary costs are too high for them
to keep on the combat.

Bob Minton says he has suffered of the cult's harrassement: leaflets glued
near his home, private detectives enquiries about him, pressures on his
family, his friends...

The day after our rendez-vous with Minton, we were receiving a letter from
the french association of scientology of Ile-de-France, where he's accused
of "being implicated into an affair of buying-back the debts of Nigeria",
copies of the Sunday Times joined to the letter. Scientology gave also a
file with police papers noting that Bob Minton has shot twice in the air to
threaten scientologists, and that he would have brandished an axe and
launched stones to other adepts. The document proves at least that
scientology has splendid relationships with local police, to which it is
offering sometimes its websites.

This is not much to divert Bob Minton: he bought a building two doors from
one of the scientology installations in Clearwater, as a sort of provocation
toward the cult's managers. And he has put his association's QG there.